CHAPTER 6
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“Y ou realize I’m a professional nurse, right?” Mallory asked, cradling her youngest nephew in her arms. Her sister, Emily, glowered from the other side of the living room, a permanent crease knitted between her brows. “I can show my transcripts. I got an A in neonatal care, and I’m the head nurse on the evening rotation at the ER.” Holding the baby up in her arms she added, “And Tyson isn’t even a preemie. He’s getting so big; he’ll be able to chew steak soon.”
“You say that,” Emily countered, “but you’re not supporting his neck properly.” Mallory struggled to hold back an eyeroll as her sister strode over and scooped up Tyson. She looked over her son like he’d just come back from deep sea exploration, studying every hair on his tiny head. “A baby’s head is soft and not fully formed for months, you know.”
Of course, Mallory knew, as did anyone who ever interacted with a baby, but there was no point interrupting her sister when she was on a roll. Dutifully, she held her tongue and kept her eyes locked on her sister, careful to avoid even a hint of an eyeroll. Emily had been a mother for nearly a year, which naturally made her an expert on all things parenting and babies. Mallory half expected to see her sister pop up on a TED Talk before the end of the week on the importance of napping and balanced diets.
A few weeks ago, over family dinner, she lectured their eldest sister, Sophie, on all the ways she’d raised her children to be serial killers. “Do you have any idea what is in that yogurt?” she had asked, flabbergasted that her niece and nephew were allowed to eat dairy and breathe the same air as the cows that provided it. Sophie had made a few choice hand gestures to end that line of conversation. Mallory only wished she was the older sibling, then she would really tell Emily her thoughts on baby bone density and dairy products.
Glancing at her watch, Mallory willed Evan to show up sooner rather than later. He’d promised to swing by and see their young nephew, but also to save Mallory from another Emily lecture. Her sister caught her checking her watch for the third time in as many minutes and scoffed. “Do you have somewhere better to be?” She angled young Tyson so his pinched face could judge Mallory with all the gusto of an eight-month-old baby. “Look how upset he’s getting,” Emily said, her voice dripping with disdain. Tyson offered his aunt a gummy smile, his cheeks plumping with the effort.
Mallory pulled herself to her feet and plodded into the kitchen. While only two years apart, her sister had the uncanny ability to sermon at the drop of a hat. “Chill, Em. I’m just checking to see if Evan’s almost here.”
Tyson made a gurgling sound before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep. Emily carefully nestled him in the crook of her arm before following Mallory to the fridge. “I’m guessing we won’t see him for a while. Isn’t Beckett back in town? They’re probably off wreaking havoc.”
Impressed with herself, Mallory didn’t even flinch when Beckett’s name was uttered. It was like she was completely in control of her emotions. She grabbed her phone and checked her text messages. “Ev said he’d be here for dinner. He knows you’re leaving town tonight.” Emily lived a couple of hours away in Indiana, but she came out to Buckeye Falls to visit Mallory and Evan whenever she could. Their oldest sister, Sophie, lived up in Cleveland and the foursome video-called weekly to catch up.
Emily eased Tyson into the pack and play that Mallory kept at her place. After ensuring her son was perfectly positioned for optimal sleep, she tiptoed back to the kitchen and joined Mallory while she diced some vegetables for a salad. “Has it been hard?” Emily asked, her voice low so as not to disturb the baby.
“Has what been hard?” Mallory sensed they were teetering on the edge of sisterly advice. It wasn’t that she and Emily weren’t close, but they were close in a different way than she and Evan. Emily was the middle daughter, and after taking orders from Sophie for her whole life, she was eager to share the fun with her only younger sister. Normally Mallory didn’t mind, but today she feared it would drain her.
Emily tossed a bag of greens into the salad bowl before shaking a bottle of dressing. Her shrewd gaze never left Mallory’s face, and her cheeks burned. “I’m going to go easy on you, because I know Evan will barge in here soon.”
“Oh, boy.” Mallory sighed, nearly chopping her thumb in her haste to finish dicing a cucumber. “Can we just pretend we had this talk and move onto something for fun? Like Dad’s upcoming colonoscopy?”
Emily wrinkled her nose. “Eww, gross, Mal. You’re about to put me off my appetite.”
Mallory hip-checked her out of the way, going in search of salad tongs and hopefully a new line of conversation. “So what is hubby up to while you’ve been here all day?”
“Pfft, working and enjoying a few hours in a quiet house? Now knock it off and let’s get down to business. How are you handling Beckett being back in town?”
Mallory had gone to a lot of trouble keeping her feelings for Beckett hidden. Sophie, bless her heart, had been oblivious to her sisters’ crushes growing up, mostly because she was older and had her own matters of the heart to attend to. Emily, on the other hand, lived for this type of drama. Mallory idly wondered if that was where her love of celebrity gossip came from.
On a particularly low day in high school, Mallory had come home in tears when Beckett had asked another girl to join him at the Christmas Jubilee. They’d been dancing around asking each other for weeks, until Beckett surprised her by mentioning bringing another girl. It was clear her infatuation at that point was one-sided, and she broke down. Emily had found her in a very cliched state—eating ice cream directly from the tub and sobbing through her millionth rewatch of Kierra Knightly’s Pride and Prejudice .
Mallory stabbed the tongs into the bowl, causing the top layer of lettuce to wilt under the pressure. “And don’t mess up my salad. I need to make sure I get enough folic acid, or Tyson will grow up crossed-eyed and with a crooked spine.”
“Yeah, I’m not even going there with you. Yes, nutrition while breastfeeding is important, but if you miss three pieces of iceberg, you’re hardly malnourished.”
“Stop stalling,” Emily ordered, poking Mallory in the ribs with the blunt end of a butter knife. “Have you seen Beckett? Does he still look like Conan O’Brien’s little brother?”
Finally, Mallory let loose a dramatic eye roll. “Really? You’re still on that?”
Emily held up her hands and started counting down her reasons. “First, he’s tall. Second, he’s got red hair.”
“Do you have any idea how many tall red-headed men there are in the world? I’m guessing thousands, and they don’t all look like Conan.”
“Beckett’s funny. That’s another similarity.” Emily smirked, clearly pleased with herself.
“Ugh, I’m not even fighting with you about this.”
“Because you know I’m right...” Emily sing-songed as she carried the salad to the table. “Quit stalling and tell me how you feel. You two have the whole will-they-won’t-they thing like it’s an Olympic sport.”
Mallory heaved out another breath before following her to the dining room table. She set out three plates and turned to get utensils.
“Bring back another plate,” Emily ordered.
Mallory ignored her sister, carrying back forks for three. Handing them out like playing cards, she said, “Now I really am going to pull the nurse card. Tyson can’t have salad and chicken.”
Emily flicked Mallory on the elbow, a nasty habit she’d picked up when they were girls.
“Ow,” Mallory exclaimed, rubbing the spot and glaring daggers at Emily. “What the hell, Em?”
“Shh, you’ll wake up Tyson. I’d like to have at least three bites of my dinner be uninterrupted.”
There was a knock at the door, intruding on their sisterly bickering. “I invited Beckett,” Emily said quickly. “Evan mentioned they were spending the afternoon together, and I thought it’d be nice to see him.”
Another knock sounded at the door, and Mallory went pale. “Why did you invite him?”
Emily shrugged. “Because he’s practically family? I haven’t seen him since my wedding, and he needs to meet Tyson.”
Mallory covered her face with her hands and groaned. “Why didn’t you tell me? I look awful.” Since she was planning for sibling togetherness, she’d worn old jeans and a tunic that hid her shape completely. She’d be more glamourous wrapped in a trash bag.
“Calm down and go change. I’ll handle the guys.” Emily pushed her down the hallway. “And put on a little makeup. You look tired.”
“Very helpful, Em. You could have just told me you invited him.” A third knock sounded from the door, and Mallory wondered why Evan wouldn’t use his damned key.
Emily shoved her sister again, this time with more gusto. “My life is very boring right now. It involves a baby and a variety of bodily functions. If watching you squirm and finally admit your feelings to Beckett freaking Fox brings me joy, kill me.”
“I very well might,” Mallory countered, flicking Emily right in the forehead. “And I’m not admitting anything to anyone.”
“Suit yourself, but I’m still having fun.” Emily turned on her heel and ran to the door.
The last thing Mallory heard before she barricaded herself in her room was Beckett’s warm voice as he cooed over the baby. “I might not make it out of here alive,” she mused as she scoured her closet for something to wear. Probably something dark to cover the blood stains when she murdered her sister.
*
M allory didn’t know he was coming, Beckett mused as he took in a table set for three. Plus, their hostess hadn’t made an appearance for nearly ten minutes. She was either hiding or sick, and he wasn’t fond of either option.
Evan asked the question on his mind after he hugged his other sister. “Was Mal abducted by aliens or something?”
Emily flapped her hand in the direction of the hallway, clearly unbothered. “She’ll be right out. I spilled salad dressing all over her.”
Evan snorted. “Sorry I missed the sisterly bonding.”
Peering around her apartment, Beckett saw Mallory in every detail. From the stack of gossip magazines on the coffee table to the family photos on the walls and the comforting lavender candle burning in the corner, it all screamed Mallory. Lost in his musings, he almost missed a tabby cat as it skittered across the floor and right under the sofa. “What was that?” he asked, gesturing in the general direction the beast fled.
“That’s Fernando,” Evan said over his shoulder, attention focused on the baby in his arms. Head dipped, he muttered something in a high-pitch voice until Tyson giggled. His buddy was a natural with kids, and Beckett knew Evan would have a big family of his own someday. A guy like that had a lot of love to give the world.
“Mal got him a couple of years ago, and I can safely say that darn cat hates anyone but her.”
Beckett’s heart squeezed at the notion that she finally got her own cat. It was silly really, but there was a part of him that felt better knowing she had followed through on this wish.
Emily joined them with a pitcher of iced tea. She deftly filled each glass and added a fourth plate to the table without looking up. Once her work was done, she joined them in the living room. “Fernando is all right. The trick is to pretend you don’t care. Then he’ll pop up in your lap and demand belly rubs.”
“I’ve tried to rub his belly every time I come over, and all I get for my effort are scratches and snarls. And let’s be honest, everyone likes me,” Evan protested.
Emily couldn’t stop laughing. “Ev, you literally chase that cat around until you corner it. I think your love is bordering on abuse.”
Evan cradled Tyson against his chest and whispered in mock horror. “Don’t say that in front of the baby.”
Beckett shuffled his feet, unsure where to sit and how to act in this Lawson family tableau. This was far from his first family dinner with the squabbling siblings, but it was the first in two years. A lot could happen in two years, and judging from Mallory’s absence, she wasn’t thrilled at his presence.
Adjusting his glasses with his thumb, Beckett made a decision. Yes, he wanted to see Mallory and get back to how they used to be. But he also wasn’t a bully, and he’d wait for her to come to him. “You know,” he said, clearing past the lump in his throat. “I should probably head back to my place. You guys have some family stuff and...” he trailed off, unable to think of a reasonable lie for why he was leaving dinner before they even sat down.
“What are you talking about?” Evan asked, closing the distance between them and hoisting and now-sleeping Tyson into his arms.
Slightly panicked, Beckett fidgeted with his hands until he got Tyson into place. The kid was as hefty as a sack of sand, and his shoulders slumped from the weight of him. “What are you feeding this kid, Emily?” he teased, watching her eyes shine with pride.
“Nothing that isn’t doctor approved. I’m still trying to breastfeed every—”
“Nope!” Evan yelped, raising his hands in defense. “Em, you know the rules. I want to know everything about my family, especially my niece and nephews, but I draw the line at body talk. I know you had to have sex once to make Tyson, and that is as far as I’m willing to go on the topic. Now please talk about anything else in the world.”
Emily threw her head back and groaned. “You are such a baby, Ev.” Reaching out, she pinched his elbow until he wiggled free. It was a patented Lawson family defense strategy, and Beckett learned it at an early age.
“I’m not a baby, I just don’t want to know anything about my sisters’ personal lives.”
“I doubt you’re this squeamish with Mal,” Emily countered, eyebrow raised. “And if you’re going to be ridiculous, I’m going to make you go outside so we can start over.”
Evan’s lips quirked at her threat.
Evan and Mallory were only eighteen months apart and were practically inseparable as kids, and still were as far as Beckett could tell. While he doubted the pair talked about hormones and their dating exploits, he assumed Evan and Mallory talked about almost every aspect of their lives. Well, except for one very big aspect. Beckett and Evan were thick as thieves, but if Evan knew he’d broken his sister’s heart, Beckett would be six feet under.
As if summoning her into the room, Mallory appeared in the hallway. Her hair was styled up and off her face, with tendrils of curls spilling over her shoulders. Even from a distance, Beckett saw a rosy hue to her cheeks and a swipe of deep pink across her lips. He wanted to stride over to her, take her in his arms and kiss that lipstick away.
Instead, since he was in the land of the living, he rearranged the baby and hoped she couldn’t see his pulse hammering in his neck. “Hey, Mal.” Beckett lamely lifted a hand in greeting, the other arm still nestling Tyson to his chest.
“Hi,” Mallory replied, her greeting swallowed up by Evan and Emily’s bickering. Her blue eyes darkened at the sight of him, and he hoped he wasn’t making her uncomfortable by showing up at her place. If she was angry with him, she covered it well. “I see you’ve met Tyson,” she added, stepping closer until she could reach her nephew. Raising a hand, she gently swiped his fuzzy hair off his forehead. Never one to be jealous of a baby, Beckett suddenly wished she’d do that to him.
But, then again, he was currently holding a baby and thought spontaneous combustion was a bad idea. “Yeah,” he choked, clearing past a lump in his throat. He’d seen Mallory a handful of times since coming back to town, but tonight felt different. Maybe it was because he was in her space, maybe it was the baby powder scent of Tyson between them paired with her loving expression, but Beckett had to focus on breathing.
“Please tell me these two haven’t started a nuclear war out here.” She pitched her head toward her siblings and sighed good-naturedly. “They’ll be the death of us all.”
For a moment, they stared at each other. Beckett studied her expression like he was practicing for an exam, memorizing every feature and detail for later. Her hair looked so soft; his fingers twitched to feel the strands between his fingers. He had first-hand knowledge of how silky her hair was, and if he wasn’t careful, he was about to show how much that memory affected him.
After he cleared his throat again, Emily heard and misunderstood the situation. “Goodness,” she said as she walked to the table. Grabbing one of the glasses, she gave it to Mallory before scooping up Tyson. “That’s for you, Beckett. Where are my manners?”
Becket felt the absence of little Tyson immediately, and apparently so did Mallory. Without a human shield between them, she backed away until her butt hit the wall. He stepped closer, not wanting to lose what little closeness they still shared. “Here.” Mallory thrust the glass into his hands before falling back against the wall. She opened her mouth to say something else, but the kitchen timer dinged and she sprinted to freedom.
Dinner was delicious, and the conversation flowed well. Mallory sat in the corner, her back ramrod straight and her gaze always directed beyond Beckett’s shoulder. He started to fear he was Medusa and would turn Mallory to stone if their eyes locked. Frankly, he’d chance turning to marble if he had just one minute of the old Mallory.
“Thanks for dinner, ladies,” Evan said when the last of the meal was devoured. “Take this as high praise when I say it was delicious.”
“Given who your fiancée is, I’ll take it.”
Beckett wasn’t sure who knew of Evan’s intentions with CeCe, but judging from Emily’s expression, the cat was out of the bag. “Oh, my God, Ev!” She squealed and startled Tyson awake. His little arms flailed at his sides; his back arched in protest. Emily covered his head and cooed for a moment before continuing, “You popped the question to CeCe?”
Evan shook his head and gave Mallory a death glare. “Not yet.” His words were clipped and very un-Evan-like. “I told Mal last week that I was planning on it, because I needed Nana Lawson’s ring.”
For a moment, the table went silent. Mallory’s already downturned gaze was even more shadowed, and he didn’t miss how her fingers toyed with the edge of the table cloth. Her knuckles were whiter than their empty dinner plates, her fingers curled tightly around each other.
Emily looked at Mallory, hesitating a moment before she congratulated her brother. “I know you two will be very happy together. I’m excited for you, Ev.” With her free hand, she reached out and swatted Evan’s arm. “Now don’t keep secrets like this, because you know I thrive on gossip.”
“I’ll make you a deal,” Evan said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. “You’ll be the first person I tell about my next engagement.” He winked to punctuate his point and Emily made a lewd gesture in return.
Emily jostled Tyson back to sleep and asked, “So Nana’s ring, huh? I didn’t think that was CeCe’s style.”
Beckett couldn’t help but agree, yet saying so would likely get his best-man status revoked. Judging from the fact that Mallory hadn’t looked up to meet her sister’s gaze, Beckett knew this was a complicated subject.
Evan ran a bread crust through a trail of gravy and popped it in his mouth whole. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment before continuing. “I thought about getting another ring, but with Nana’s available, I thought it made sense. Plus, Nana would love CeCe.”
Mallory silently stacked dishes, seemingly eager to avoid the conversation.
“I have no doubt of that,” Emily said, pulling herself to standing.
“Let me help with the dishes,” Beckett offered no one in particular.
The news about the ring was making him antsy, and Mallory’s reaction hit him in the solar plexus. If she were truly okay with CeCe having that ring, she’d be showing it right now. A happy, excited Mallory was impossible to contain. Instead, she was sullen, gathering dishes and keeping her eyes downcast while Evan chatted animatedly about the plans to propose.
Beckett met Mallory at the sink, placing the stack of plates to her left. “You wash and I’ll dry?” he offered, a familiar carry-over from his time at the Lawson household.
Mallory shrugged but didn’t decline his offer. When Beckett was certain Evan and Emily weren’t joining them, he got right down to business. “Did you approve Evan using that ring?” he asked, his voice low.
At first, he feared Mallory didn’t hear him over the gushing faucet, but when he caught her sour expression, he knew she was playing coy. “I don’t need to give approval. It’s not my ring.” Her hands trembled as she handed him a clean plate to dry.
Snatching her hand, Beckett squeezed. “You’re allowed to speak up, Mal. It doesn’t sound like Evan’s particularly in love with the ring. He’s more in love with putting it on CeCe’s finger.”
“Then that is where it belongs,” she said with a huff, dropping a serving spoon into the sudsy water with a clatter.
“I don’t want to upset you, it’s just that—” He stopped his argument when Emily entered the room.
Tyson was in a car seat, hanging from her right arm. “I hate to eat and run, but Zach just texted that he’s stuck at work and can’t let Baxter out. If I wait too long, I’ll come home to a puddle of pee and a cranky baby.”
“Baxter is still alive?” Beckett hated asking the question, especially so rudely, but that hound was about ten thousand years old. The last he’d seen him, he could barely bark and had a white snout the color of freshly fallen snow. As children, they used to run after the Lawsons’ dog until no one could breathe. That was over fifteen years ago, and Baxter was half in the grave back then.
Evan cackled, doubling over in laughter. “God no, this is Em’s new dog.”
Emily clapped a hand on Beckett’s shoulder and smiled. “I’m touched you remember Baxter One though. He was a sweetheart.”
Mallory joined them, sliding a tinfoil-wrapped package into the diaper bag. “Those are brownies for the ride home, and I threw in an extra for Zach.”
The sisters kissed each other on the cheek before Emily leaned in and whispered something to Mallory. With a quick shake of the head, Mallory stepped back and shoved her hands into her pockets. It didn’t take a genius to see the sisters were talking about the ring, and Beckett didn’t blame them.
But that didn’t mean Beckett wasn’t going to bring it up—and the sooner the better. Like a lot of things with Mallory, this didn’t sit right with him. He needed to get to the bottom of this conundrum, and fast.